Technological advances have made it effortless for our generation to meet an acquaintance without any physical interaction.   Nowadays I can easily list the high tech gadgets that we use as social extension of ourselves; laptops, desktops, handhelds, netbooks, cell phones Xbox, Playstation, twitter, facebook, and myspace are all evidence of our tech-happy society.

With the increased availability of internet access, online dating has just been accepted into this realm.

 With sites like eHarmony.com and Match.com that promote people looking for a quick hookup, everyone is getting online to find that special someone. Each of these sites uses personality tests to match compatible members.

  Match.com, being the largest dating site, says that 12 percent of their user base is 18-24. I could list all of the sites that pop up when you search Google but if you are interested give it a shot and do some research. Some of the sites are pretty hilarious in what type of people they cater to.

 One of the more extreme sites was AshleyMadison.com which helps people in relationships find someone to have an affair with. Strange to think about but I bet whoever thought of that is laughing the whole way to the bank.

 The younger crowd has taken to online dating in an informal realm. If you chat on facebook with a friend or an acquaintance, then use that to grow your personal relationship with that person, in theory, that is kind of internet dating. The idea isn’t to get laid or find that special someone but to make it easy to connect with other like minded individuals. From a certain perspective, internet dating can be the only way someone can meet people. School, jobs, location, or lack of interesting people can interfere with traditional dating paths, not to mention it probably helps break the ice for people jumping back into the dating world or just have an issue with the whole in-your-face nightlife.   Actually, if you think about it, you probably learn more about potential dating prospects from their personal page than from a drunken conversation at the bar.   Remember, everyone’s favorite topic is themselves, so the detail someone goes into in filling out the templates can get pretty involved.

 To those out there in VSU that our considering online dating, jump in and get your feet wet, who knows, you might find your soul mate–or a hot married couple looking for a quick hookup at Charley O’Corleys. Good luck, be safe, and always use a firewall.